Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone — a hallucinatory study of the fall of the Soviet Union
Adam Curtis’s seven-hour documentary series revisits the chaos of the collapse.
Adam Curtis: TraumaZone
YouTube
Documentarian Adam Curtis’s positively fascinating 2021 documentary Russia 1985-1999 TraumaZone: What It Felt Like to Live Through the Collapse of Communism and Democracy does exactly what it says on the tin. Over seven hour-long episodes, Curtis revisits the chaos of the Soviet Union’s demise and through footage of everyday Russians: sex workers, reindeer herders, striking miners, economists and beauty contestants. It’s the first documentary in which he’s ditched his much-parodied signature style: the “Adam Curtis voiceover” and stonking soundtrack — opting for only diegetic sounds. But what Curtis lacks in Brian Eno bangers he makes up for with the raw footage, which is nothing short of extraordinary. About a decade ago, cameraman Phil Goodwin spent weeks digitising everything shot by the BBC in Russia since the 1960s, about 10,000 hours worth — which Curtis uses at his discretion. The result is a hypnotic, distressing, and often bitterly funny fever dream. Here’s the rub: TraumaZone, and the rest of Curtis’s film, are only available to watch on YouTube — but they are easy enough to find. Once you’ve finished this, add Curtis’s six-part BBC documentary series Can’t Get You Out of My Head to your list.
Lupin: Part 3
Netflix
Lupin was one of the standout hits of lockdown; when it debuted it became the first-ever French-language film to immediately crack the Netflix top 10. The caper-filled series has returned for a third season and is as pleasurable as ever. The incomparably suave Omar Sy, who first gained fame in the 2014 film The Intouchables, is back — this time, blonde — as the charming antihero Assane Diop. Diop is a master thief who learned the tricks of the trade through obsessively devouring Maurice Leblanc’s Arsene Lupin stories (essentially James Bond for the French) and employs them to pull off audacious robberies in Paris. Much like the best heist entertainment, Lupin doesn’t require much thinking; it’s all about unbridled, adrenaline-fuelled action and delightfully twisty plotting. There is also an emotional backbone, with flashbacks that explore Assane’s youth as the son of a Senegalese immigrant.
Everything Now
Netflix
Anyone who saw Talk To Me, the first feature from the Adelaide filmmaking twins Danny and Michael Philippou, will no doubt remember Sophie Wilde’s remarkable lead performance as Mia, a teenager barely coping with the grief of her mother’s death. The Sydney actor, who is poised to be one of Australia’s next acting greats, will play a 16-year-old who returns home after spending seven months in an eating disorder clinic. She is then thrust into the hell that is sixth form (that’s years 11 and 12 in Australia). To make up for lost time, she creates a bucket list filled with typical teenage experiences: parties, experimenting with drugs, dating, and alcohol – all things that can yield disastrous consequences. The role is a tall order: television and film have, in the past, royally flunked at portraying the nuanced, hopeless, and silent suffering of someone with an eating disorder. But there’s a good team behind this; Sex Education director Alyssa McClelland helmed two episodes, including the series premiere.
Our Flag Means Death: Season 2
Apple TV+
If you have a low tolerance for men wearing silly costumes and a need for historical accuracy, Our Flag Means Death may not be your cup of tea. But for those of us with a silly, swashbuckling side, this HBO comedy — which stars two of New Zealand’s biggest kooks, Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi — is dumb and occasionally glorious entertainment. Set in the 18th century, Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a well-to-do plantation owner embarking on a midlife career shift into piracy. While sailing the seven seas Darby’s Bonnet crosses paths with Waititi’s sullen Captain Blackbird, sparking a clandestine romance. It may not match the brilliance of fellow Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement’s What We Do in The Shadows, but it’s ample dose of zany, offbeat humour makes it a worthy enough addition to your list of low-commitment viewing. The ensemble cast, including cult outsider-comedy luminaries like Fred Armisen, Will Arnett, Tim Heidecker, Nick Kroll, and Kristen Johnston, add to the show’s freak show charm.
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